Shadow Quote by Henry Corbin
““The theosophy of Light suggests the metaphor of the mirror and the shadow. But "shadow" must not be taken to imply a dimension of Satanic darkness, an Ahrimanian antagonist; this shadow is essentially a reflection, the projection of a silhouette or face in a mirror. Our authors even speak of a "luminous shadow" ( in the sense that color is shadow in the context of absolute Light: Zill al-nur as opposed to Zill al-zulma, dark shadow). And that is how we must take the following state- ment: "Everything we call other than God, everything we call the universe, is related to the Divine Being as the shadow ( or his reflection in the mirror) to the person. The world is God's shadow.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Theosophy of Light, Henry Corbin, 1970s
The passage uses the mirror metaphor to explain that the material world reflects the divine, not as evil darkness but as a luminous shadow, emphasizing a non‑dualistic view of reality.
In simple terms: The world reflects the divine like a luminous shadow, not evil darkness.
Key Takeaway
See the world as a divine reflection.
Themes
philosophy
theology
metaphysics
spirituality
duality
Mood
contemplative
mystical
philosophical
Type
essay
theory
reflection
When to use this quote
- spiritual practice
- theological study
- personal meditation
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
non‑dualism
divine reflection
light and shadow
Questions to Reflect On
- How does seeing the world as a reflection change behavior?
- What does “luminous shadow” suggest about good and evil?
A Different Perspective
Interpreting metaphor literally can lead to misunderstanding.
![“In this essential point Ibn rArabi declares concisely: "Those to whom God remains veiled pray the God who in their belief is their Lord to have compassion with them. But the intuitive mystics [Ahl al-Kashf] ask that divine Compassion be fulfilled [come into being, exist] through them."28 In other…” quote by Henry Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/13a/henry-corbin-26358_prayer_in-this-essential-point-ibn-rarabi-decla_1274231.jpg)
